Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI 140 Bluemotion Technology

Green Awards 2012: Fun cars runner-up

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The VW Scirocco Bluemotion is a strange sort of beast: an environmentally aware coupe. Yet somehow it stacks up.

The clever thing with the Scirocco is that it looks so much more dramatic than the Golf on which it is based. This version has 138bhp, but returns CO2 emissions of just 118g/km and official average economy of 62.8mpg. It doesn’t match that figure in our True MPG test - calculated on British roads and in urban and motorway traffic - but it still manages 49.6mpg, which is pretty decent for a car that can crack 0-60mph in less than 10 seconds.

You might think that VW has merely lengthened the gear ratios to achieve these figures - and in part, you’d be right (it also gets stop-start and brake energy recuperation systems). However, the Scirocco’s 2.0-litre diesel engine has enough flexibility to cope with the taller ratios, and it’ll pull cleanly and strongly from just over 1000rpm. This is still a pretty swift car.

On the road the diesel Scirocco’s handling is as good as the petrol version’s, with lots of grip and composure in the corners, and steering that offers a surprising amount of feedback. The ride is supple too, providing you steer clear of the (optional) larger alloy wheels.

The engine could be a little more refined when it’s being worked hard, and we’d like more than the few basic design flourishes that you get in the cabin (it feels very much like a Golf), but there’s enough space for four adults and the quality of build and materials is hard to fault.

There are better Sciroccos, frankly, but none are greener. As a stylish company car that still offers a rewarding drive, the Bluemotion Tech makes a lot of sense.